A continuation of the attempt to narrow down photos I've been taking to 18 favorites. Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated.

(1)

TAKING A LONG SUNNY RIDE HOME

Taking a long sunny ride home while listening to blues. Dizzy, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, and “Sunny Side Up,” just a kind of music you need to go deep into the grove. Just as we pass over a long span bridge, my white dog Sappho asks me “Did you have a good walk?”

Frankly, I am startled. For she has never spoken to me, not in words, not like that. Still, I try to play it cool, play it straight. “Sure!" I say, "It was great. For I love watching you chasing birds." Then glancing to the back where my black dog rests listening intently in silence, knowing her feelings can be hurt, I scratch her ear, scratch my head, and continue. "I love watching you, too, Miss Molly. You guys are so pretty together, so graceful running back and forth, yin and yang in a perfect dynamic union. Still, you've done it like 10000 times, never caught a single bird, yet you keep doing it over and over again. That is just silly."

Molly nods her head, Sappho giggles, and it downs on me, it's not about catching, it's about the chase. So, I crank up the volume, change the topic, and say, "By the way, you have helped me to find two brand new haiku. That is so cool!” They grin and wag their tails and for a while we drive in silence just listening to blues. Then I ask, “Ladies! How was your walk?”

“It was great” Sappho says, “for I love watching you watching us running." "I love that, too," Molly interjects, "and those sunglasses you bought for us, to protect our eyes from the sun and the sand, they are so cool. But, for goodness sake, haven't you noticed we go through them like you go through toilet paper. They are too fragile for us, continuing to buy them is just plain silly, man."

Molly is very practical; Sappho not so much. She speaks slowly and calmly, "Yeah, indeed, they are cool. Still I'd prefer not to wear them when they are other dogs around. First, I wanna have an eye on those mother fuckers, OK? If they are all right, we'll play with them and you should always feel free to cut to the chase. More importantly, I love it when they can look into my eyes. You take your sunglasses off when they are humans around, especially the ladies... I know, there is something in there, Molly has fallen for that, too. But, to tell you the truth, if you take your sunglasses off while keeping ours on, oh man, that is just plain rude. OK?”

"OK" I nod and for a while we drive in silence just listening to blues. And you can feel the music flowing, the energy growing, a trumpet and two tenors trading 4s, when she kind of wiggles and stretches and yawns, "I’m kind of tired now," she says, "I'd like to rest on the back seat. Could you, please, take over the wheel?”

crimson silencea boy and his two dogs sniffing sunset

(2)

New Moon again playing tricks with my mind and body&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp I watch the eclipse wondering

who pays attentionand what does it mean to save all beings?

each day each night tides leave hundreds of jellyfish on the sands I return one to the ocean but how can I save them all?

"when one is truly saved all are saved", say the Scriptures but this defies reason for what about all the rest?

still what if one's chant is thunder strongcutting through all the illusionscutting through many and onewhat is left then?

the sun slip-slides behind the line of horizonyet the light lingerslike memories of all bad deeds and some good ones

I returnsto an empty home too tired to rest and sleep

I try every mantraevery dharani I know

(3)

a gloomy day the supper smells like sweat and burnt leaves

cold evening the sun too tuckedin a thick blanket

(4)

BOB HALL PIER ON THE PADRE ISLAND

On the beach before walking under a pierI stop, calm downmake the Ladies sitchant a sutra

Some find it weirdI think it is but polite

For who would like my quick nervous steps to disturb those kind magnificent creatures taking a break from their yeoman's work of moving waters and clouds

Resting there on the soft sand in the deep shadow of pierdragons(#) taking a morning nap

as I return home a stray kitten on the stairs purrs her mantra

(#) When I was little, I heard it to be bad luck to walk under a ladder. I also saw a picture of a dragon coiled under one. His name was "Baziliszek," and he looked more mischievous than dangerous. So, I was not sure what to think about all of it. Anyway, I have learned since then that, contrary to a belief popular in the West, dragons are among the most generous and kind creatures in the visible and invisible universe. In particular, they are responsible for all forms of water movement. So, if they are disturbed, this harmonious movement of water can be totally thrown out of whack which is bad for the world and the sentient beings. Also, so far as I can tell, a pier is just a huge horizontal ladder. Yes?

Comments:

The jellyfish: fear not. your one kindness is all kindnesses, but also your particular kindness. Life ends, but nothing is ever lost. and yet, it is right to grieve death, and right to strive to save life, even knowing that it does end. Or so I feel. ((hugs))